Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

Methamphetamine Statistics

Methamphetamines, also known as “meth” or “crystal meth”, are drugs that are quickly growing in popularity in the state of California. Among the biggest users of this drug are young women, ages 12 to 25. This should not be surprising, since the affects of meth use include increased energy levels, elevated mood, and appetite suppression. Our society has conditioned our young women to believe...

Marijuana In The News

When we think about marijuana’s negative connotations, we envision prison cells for drug use, selling marijuana, growing the drug, and maybe even selling or forging prescriptions for it. There rarely come visions of wildfire when we mention the phrase “marijuana problems,” but this can actually be a major concern in the state of California. Case in point: Just this year people have...

Drug Reform in California

Legalization of marijuana for medicinal use passed in California in 1996, making it the first state in the union to allow use of the drug for people who suffer from chronic pain and various diseases. For these people, Proposition 215 is a savior since it minimizes their suffering. The Drug Policy Alliance Network, commonly known as the DPA, has worked to create and pass the legislation governing the...

Possession of Marijuana

The State of California treats drug offenses very seriously, prosecuting offenders to the full extent of the law whenever it is possible. However, the laws surrounding the possession of marijuana can be confusing and it can be intimidating to face these charges if one does not harbour a thorough understanding of the state laws. This makes it ultimately important to seek the advice and counsel of a...

Cocaine Abuse

Introduced to European society centuries ago, cocaine abuse has been a dark shadow on the history of mankind and our development. In the late 1800’s, Coca-Cola was known to use cocaine as a flavour additive in their new carbonated beverage. Abuse and addiction are left in the drug’s wake, destroying those who have touched it. With an extremely high import rate into the U.S. and Canada,...

Medical Marijuana and Law

In recent years, the use of marijuana as a medical treatment option for people suffering chronic pain has been a common and heated debate across the world. Many studies have shown marijuana to work as a wonderful pain killer for people suffering from a wide variety of painful ailments. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize the use of marijuana as a medical treatment with Proposition...

Drug Possession

In order to prosecute a person for possession of drugs for personal use, the prosecution must prove that the person had knowledge of the presence of the controlled substance, and knowledge that the substance was in fact a controlled substance. There are two types of possession: Actual possession means that a person knowingly has direct physical control over a controlled substance. Constructive possession...

How can someone be convicted of Prescription Fraud?

The California criminal jury instructions (CALJIC) outlines the elements required to convict a person for prescription forgery. CALJIC 12.05 states that: “In order to prove this crime, each of the following elements must be proved: 1. A person forged/altered/issued/uttered a form for the prescription of drugs; and 2. As forged/altered issued/uttered the prescription was for [a narcotic drug]. Alternatively, 1....